The Prime Minister received a reception ceremony from the Dutch troops participating in the Eufor Althea mission at Camp Butmir in Sarajevo. Rutte dined there with the soldiers.

In the Eufor Althea mission, the Netherlands, together with 20 other countries, contributes to stability in the Western Balkans. There are many tensions between the different ethnic groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Russia is trying to use this unrest to increase its influence in the country.

Last October, the Netherlands sent 150 soldiers to Bosnia and Herzegovina for a year to contribute to the EU-led military mission.

Rutte further visited the cemetery in Srebrenica by helicopter. He laid a wreath there.

At the nearby memorial center, he spoke with the Mothers of Srebrenica. These are relatives of the genocide that took place in the area in 1995.